James Rousey congratulates his father Richard Rousey, who was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society during a ceremony at Manatee Technical College on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Manatee Technical College

James Rousey congratulates his father Richard Rousey, who was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society during a ceremony at Manatee Technical College on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Manatee Technical College

Brightest minds, hardest workers honored at Manatee Technical College

That is the motto of the National Technical Honor Society, which recognizes the best students studying workforce education. On Tuesday, MTC honored 150 prepared minds by inducting them into the NTHS during a ceremony at the school.

Kathleen Matthews, an advisor for the society and career counselor at Manatee Technical, reminded the 500 gathered for the ceremony just how difficult admission to the society is.

“Only the top 2 percent of the students in the United States are nominated for membership,” Matthews said.

Students must have an A average, receive an instructor’s nomination and exemplify the society’s values in order to be considered for membership, according to a press release from MTC. The club looks for students who display knowledge, honesty, responsibility, service, skill, leadership, citizenship and scholarship.

Richard Rousey was one of the inductees Tuesday night who displayed those qualities and the importance of a prepared mind.

Rousey and his two sons drive attend MTC’s major appliance repair program, a third son will join the program in August and they have plans of starting their own business this summer. The business will be a second career for Rousey, who served in the U.S. Army for 22 years, and the name of the business is a nod to his former life — Appliance Vets.